Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one's birth.
Dobro ime je boljše kakor dragoceno mazilo in dan smrti [je boljši] kakor dan rojstva nekoga.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to heart.
Bolje je iti v hišo žalujočega, kakor iti v hišo pojedine, kajti to je konec vseh ljudi; in živi si bodo to položili k srcu.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
Bridkost je boljša kot smeh, kajti z žalostjo obličja je srce postalo boljše.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Srce modrega je v hiši žalovanja, toda srce bedakov je v hiši veselja.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
Bolje je poslušati oštevanje modrega, kakor za človeka poslušati pesem bedakov.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
Kajti kakor je prasketanje trnja pod loncem, tak je smeh bedaka. Tudi to je ničevost.
7 Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.
Zatiranje modrega zagotovo dela besnega in podkupnina uničuje srce.
8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Boljši je konec stvari kakor njen začetek, in potrpežljivi v duhu je boljši kakor ponosni v duhu.
9 Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
V svojem duhu ne bodi nagel, da bi bil jezen, kajti jeza počiva v naročju bedakov.
10 Do not say, "Why were the former days better than these?" For you do not ask wisely about this.
Ne reci: »Kaj je razlog, da so bili prejšnji dnevi boljši kakor tile?« Kajti glede tega nisi modro poizvedel.
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for those who see the sun.
Modrost je dobra z dediščino; in z njo je korist tistim, ki gledajo sonce.
12 For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
Kajti modrost je obramba in denar je obramba, toda odličnost spoznanja je, da modrost daje življenje tem, ki jo imajo.
13 Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight, which he has made crooked?
Preudari Gospodovo delo, kajti kdo lahko izravna to, kar je on skrivil?
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.
Na dan uspevanja bodi radosten, toda na dan nadloge preudari; tudi Bog je postavil enega nasproti drugemu, z namenom, da človek ne bi ničesar našel za njim.
15 All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.
Vse stvari sem videl v dneh svoje ničevosti. Je pravičen človek, ki propada v svoji pravičnosti in je zloben človek, ki v svoji zlobnosti podaljšuje svoje življenje.
16 Do not be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
Ne bodi preko mere pravičen niti se ne delaj preveč modrega. Zakaj bi samega sebe uničil?
17 Do not be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time?
Ne bodi preveč zloben niti ne bodi nespameten. Zakaj bi umrl pred svojim časom?
18 It is good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also from that do not withdraw your hand; for he who fears God will come forth from them all.
Dobro je, da bi to zgrabil, da, tudi pred tem ne umikaj svoje roke, kajti kdor se boji Boga, bo izmed vseh prišel naprej.
19 Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
Modrost krepi modrega bolj kakor deset silnih mož, ki so v mestu.
20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth, who does good and doesn't sin.
Kajti na zemlji ni pravičnega človeka, ki dela dobro in ne greši.
21 Also do not take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;
Prav tako se ne oziraj na vse besede, ki so izgovorjene, da ne bi slišal svojega služabnika [kako] te preklinja,
22 for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.
kajti pogosto tudi tvoje lastno srce ve, da si ti sam podobno preklinjal druge.
23 All this have I proved in wisdom. I said, "I will be wise;" but it was far from me.
Vse to sem preizkusil z modrostjo. Rekel sem: »Moder bom, « toda to je bilo daleč od mene.
24 That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?
To, kar je daleč proč in presegajoče globoko, kdo to lahko spozna?
25 I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.
Svoje srce sem posvetil védenju in preiskovanju in iskanju modrosti in razlogu za stvari in da spoznam zlobnost neumnosti, celo nespametnost in norost.
26 I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.
Našel sem grenkejše kakor smrt, žensko, čigar srce so pasti in mreže in njene roke kakor trakovi. Kdorkoli ugaja Bogu, bo zbežal pred njo, toda grešnik bo vzet po njej.
27 Look, this have I found, says the Preacher, one to another, to find out the scheme;
»Glej, to sem našel, « pravi pridigar, naštevajoč enega za drugim, da spozna razlog.
28 which my soul still seeks; but I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.
Kar vendar moja duša išče, toda ne najdem. Našel sem enega med tisočimi, toda ženske med vsemi tistimi nisem našel.
29 Look, this only have I found, that God made humankind upright, but they search for many schemes.
Glej, samo to sem našel, da je Bog človeka naredil poštenega, toda oni so iskali mnoge domiselnosti.
